Rule asssembly with reduced housing size

Abstract

A retractable rule assembly includes a housing assembly and a reel rotatably mounted in the housing assembly. An elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to the reel is constructed and arranged with respect to the housing assembly to extend from a position tangential to the reel outwardly through a spaced opening in the housing assembly. The blade has a hook member on the free end thereof. The hook member includes a hook portion and a mounting portion extending generally perpendicular from the hook portion. The mounting portion is connected with the free end of the blade for limited relative movement along the blade in an amount generally equal to thickness of the hook portion. A coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal has a construction and arrangement between the housing assembly and the reel to rotate the reel in the housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of the housing assembly opening in a normal concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto the reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration. A blade holding assembly is constructed and arranged to be manually actuated to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of the housing assembly opening and to release the blade from any position in which it is held. The metal ribbon of the spring has a width which is 95%-120% of the width of the metal ribbon of the blade.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A retractable rule assembly comprising 
       a housing assembly;  
       a reel rotatably mounted in said housing assembly;  
       an elongated blade formed of a ribbon of metal having one end connected to said reel constructed and arranged with respect to said housing assembly to extend from a position tangential to said reel outwardly through a spaced opening in said housing assembly;  
       said blade having a hook member on the free end thereof, said hook member including a hook portion and a mounting portion extending generally perpendicular from said hook portion connected with the free end of the blade for limited relative movement along said blade in an amount generally equal to thickness of said hook portion,  
       a coil spring formed of a ribbon of metal having a construction and arrangement between said housing assembly and said reel to rotate said reel in said housing assembly in a direction to wind up the elongated blade when extending outwardly of said housing assembly opening in a normal concavo-convex cross-sectional configuration onto said reel in an abutting volute coil formation in a flattened cross-sectional configuration; and  
       a blade holding assembly constructed and arranged to be manually actuated to hold the blade in any position of extension outwardly of said housing assembly opening and to release the blade from any position in which it is held;  
       wherein the metal ribbon of said spring has a width which is 95%-120% of the width of the metal ribbon of said blade.  
     
     
       2. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  1  wherein said housing assembly includes a pair of cooperating housing members, each including an end wall having a peripheral wall extending from a periphery thereof and terminating in a free edge, 
       said housing members being fixed together with their free edges interengaged by a plurality of bolts extending through one of said housing members and threadedly engaged in the other at spaced positions adjacent the peripheral walls thereof and by a fixed reel spindle having a non-circular interengaging recess-projection connection at each end thereof with the central interior of the adjacent end wall,  
       each end of said spindle being interiorly threaded to threadedly receive a bolt therein extending through a central hole in the adjacent end wall and the recess-projection connection between the central hole and threaded interior.  
     
     
       3. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  2  wherein said housing assembly includes only two corner portions, one adjacent said housing assembly opening and the other at an opposite bottom end thereof, said plurality of bolts including only two bolts positioned in said only two corner portions. 
     
     
       4. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  3  wherein said housing members are include portions along the abutting free edges thereof of tongue and groove construction. 
     
     
       5. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  4  wherein said housing members and said spindle are constructed of a molded plastic. 
     
     
       6. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  5  wherein said housing assembly including a bottom wall having an exterior portion at an end position adjacent the housing assembly opening which projects below the exterior surface portion extending therefrom toward an opposite end to provide a finger grip enhancing configuration. 
     
     
       7. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  6  wherein said hook portion is constructed and arranged to extend downwardly below a bottom surface of said housing assembly when at said housing opening and wherein said housing opening has a height dimension which exceeds the height dimension of said hook member mounting portion and its connection with the free end of said blade an amount which is at least approximately equal to the amount said hook portion extends below said bottom end surface of said housing assembly when at said housing opening and wherein said locking member includes a blade engaging and locking free end portion, said locking free end portion including a central recess of a width to operatively accommodate the width of said hook member mounting portion. 
     
     
       8. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  7  wherein said housing assembly includes a fitment defining a part of the housing assembly opening adjacent a convex side of said blade, said fitment having a plurality of tangentially extending transversely spaced elongated ridges defining surfaces for engaging the convex side of said blade extending tangentially from said reel to said housing assembly opening. 
     
     
       9. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  8  wherein the thickness of the metal ribbon of said spring is 0%-25% thinner than the thickness of the metal ribbon of the blade. 
     
     
       10. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  9  wherein said holding assembly includes a holding member mounted on said housing assembly for arcuate movement in opposite directions between a normally inoperative position and a holding position, said holding member having (1) said free end movable into wedging engagement with the tangentially extending portion of said blade to hold the same against an interior holding surface in the housing assembly when said holding member is in said holding position and (2) an exterior thumb engaging portion configured to be moved digitally to move said holding member from the normally operative position thereof to the holding position thereof. 
     
     
       11. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  10  wherein the height of the housing assembly does not substantially exceed 3.65 inches for a blade length that is at most approximately 33 feet, wherein the height of the housing assembly does not substantially exceed 3.45 inches for a blade length that is at most approximately 30 feet, and wherein the height of the housing assembly does not substantially exceed 3.25 inches for a blade length that is at most approximately 8 meters. 
     
     
       12. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  11  wherein the metal ribbon of said spring is 100%-110% of the width of the metal ribbon of the blade. 
     
     
       13. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  3  wherein said housing assembly including a bottom wall having an exterior portion at an end position adjacent the housing assembly opening which projects below the exterior surface portion extending therefrom toward an opposite end to provide a finger grip enhancing configuration. 
     
     
       14. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  13  wherein a top surface of said housing assembly is arcuate to substantially conform to the upper portion of the reel and to provide an arcuate top surface that is constructed and arranged such that a gripping hand can hold the housing assembly with a palm and a thumb of the gripping hand on the arcuate top surface and with fingers of the hand disposed on the portion of said bottom wall of said housing assembly that provides said finger grip enhancing configuration. 
     
     
       15. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  14  wherein said holding assembly includes a holding member mounted on said housing assembly for arcuate movement in opposite directions between a normally inoperative position and a holding position, said holding member having (1) an interior free end movable into wedging engagement with the tangentially extending portion of said blade to hold the same against an interior holding surface in the housing assembly when said holding member is in said holding position and (2) an exterior thumb engaging portion configured to be moved digitally to move said holding member from the normally operative position thereof to the holding position thereof, said interior free end portion including a central recess of a width to operatively accommodate the width of said mounting portion of said hook member. 
     
     
       16. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  15  wherein the height of the housing assembly does not substantially exceed 3.65 inches for a blade length that is at most approximately 33 feet, wherein the height of the housing assembly does not substantially exceed 3.45 inches for a blade length that is at most approximately 30 feet, and wherein the height of the housing assembly does not substantially exceed 3.25 inches for a blade length that is at most approximately 8 meters. 
     
     
       17. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  16  wherein the metal ribbon of said spring is 100%-110% of the width of the metal ribbon of the blade. 
     
     
       18. A retractable rule assembly as defined in claim  17  wherein said hook portion is constructed and arranged to extend downwardly below a bottom surface of said housing assembly when at said housing opening and wherein said housing opening has a height dimension which exceeds the height dimension of said hook member mounting portion and its connection with the free end of said blade an amount which is at least approximately equal to the amount said hook portion extends below said bottom end surface of said housing assembly when at said housing opening and wherein said locking member includes a blade engaging and locking free end portion, said locking free end portion including a central recess of a width to operatively accommodate the width of said hook member mounting portion.